LOCATION PALON NM
Established Series
Rev. DRS/RJA/KLS
11/2022
PALON SERIES
The Palon series consists of very deep, well drained soils that formed in colluvium derived from rhyolite. Palon soils are on mountain slopes and summits. Slopes are 15 to 65 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 560 mm, and the mean annual air temperature is about 7 degrees C.
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Loamy-skeletal, mixed, superactive, frigid Lamellic Haplustalfs
TYPICAL PEDON: Palon very cobbly sandy loam--woodland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)
Oi--0 to 5 cm; leaves, needles, twigs, and bark. (0 to 8 cm thick)
A1--5 to 10 cm; dark gray (10YR 4/1) very cobbly sandy loam, very dark gray (10YR 3/1) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable; slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots and common medium roots; 10 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, and 5 percent pebbles; neutral; abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 18 cm thick)
A2--10 to 25 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; moderate fine and medium granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many fine and very fine roots and common medium roots; 20 percent stones, 40 percent cobbles and 10 percent pebbles; neutral; clear wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick)
E--25 to 81 cm; light gray (10YR 7/2) extremely cobbly sandy loam, brown (10YR 5/3) moist; weak fine granular structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; many medium, common fine, and few coarse roots; 25 percent stones, 40 percent cobbles, and 5 percent pebbles; neutral; abrupt wavy boundary. (25 to 60 cm thick)
E/Bt1--81 to 134 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak fine subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and nonplastic; lamellae are 0.5 to 3 cm thick; total thickness of lamellae is 15 cm or more in this horizon; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; clay bridging sand grains;) few fine and medium roots; 2 percent stones, 30 percent cobbles, and 5 percent pebbles; neutral; gradual wavy boundary. (18 to 65 cm thick)
E/Bt2--134 to 170 cm; pink (7.5YR 7/4) very cobbly sandy loam, brown (7.5YR 5/4) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; soft, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; lamellae are 0.5 to 3 cm thick, total thickness of the lamellae is 15 cm or more in this horizon; light brown (7.5YR 6/4) sandy clay loam, brown (7.5YR 4/4) moist; massive; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; clay bridging sand grains;) few fine roots; 15 percent stones, 25 percent cobbles, and 5 percent pebbles; neutral.
TYPE LOCATION: Sandoval County, New Mexico; Baca Location No. 1. South side of Cerro Seco; long. 106 degrees, 34 minutes, 16 seconds W; lat. 35 degrees, 56 minutes, 44 seconds north.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Mean annual soil temperature--6 to 8 degrees C
Soil Moisture--Usually moist in at least some part of the moisture control section December through April and moist in some part of the moisture control section July through October. The soil is driest during May and June.
Reaction--pH 6.1 to 7.3, but E and Bt may range to 5.6 to 6.0
A horizon
Value--4 through 6 dry, 2 through 4 moist
Chroma--1 through 3
Texture--cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy loam
Rock fragment content--15 to 70 percent rock fragments
E horizon
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma--2 through 6
Texture--very gravelly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy loam or extremely cobbly sandy loam
Rock fragment content--35 to 70 percent
E/Bt horizon
E horizon part
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--6 through 8 dry, 4 through 7 moist
Chroma--1 through 4
Texture--very cobbly sandy loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam, very gravelly loamy sand
Rock fragment content--35 to 75 percent
Bt horizon part
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 through 7 dry, 3 through 5 moist
Chroma--2 through 6
Texture--very cobbly sandy loam, very cobbly sandy clay loam, extremely cobbly sandy loam and extremely cobbly sandy clay loam
Rock fragment content--35 to 70 percent
The argillic horizon is based on lamellae 1 cm thick with a combined thickness of over 15 cm.
COMPETING SERIES: These are
Marquette(MN) and
Pelan(NM) series in the same family and the closely related
Origo(NM). Marquette and Pelan soils are calcareous in some horizon above 100 cm. Origo soils have cryic temperatures.
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Landform--mountain slopes and summits
Elevation--2200 to 3050 meters
Slope--15 to 80 percent
Parent material--colluvium derived from rhyolite
Mean annual precipitation--510 to 640 mm
Mean annual air temperature--6 to 8 degrees C
Frost-free period--70 to 100 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: None listed
DRAINAGE AND PERMEABILITY: Well drained; medium runoff; moderately rapid permeability
USE AND VEGETATION: These soils are used for woodland. Native vegetation is ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, white fir, quaking aspen, and mountain brome.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Palon soils are moderately extensive in the mountains of northcentral New Mexico; MLRA 48A.
SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (SSRO) RESPONSIBLE: Bozeman, Montana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Sandoval County, New Mexico, 1987
REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Ochric epipedon--5 to 25 cm (A horizons)
Argillic horizon--81 to 170 cm (the Bt parts of the E/Bt1, E/Bt2 horizons composed of lamellae at least 1 cm thick with a combined thickness of over 15 cm)
Particle-size control section--81 to 131 cm
Converted to metric, updated formatting, and O horizons were updated to start at zero. Competing series section was not updated. 11/2022
National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.